[Sendaz]

Since you still get a Defense Test--I know, I know--I've always assumed SR lasers are visible.

The lasers are normally invisible.
However when you run your laser with Wireless ON, it broadcasts the beam's path as an ARO so as to avoid accidents, both for you and those around you.

[gradivus]

Since you still get a Defense Test--I know, I know--I've always assumed SR lasers are visible.

Really?

Then I guess you get a defense test against hyper-sonic bullets because you can 'see' them.

Even if the laser was visible- by the time the brain processes the information the laser is long gone from where you 'see' it. It's traveling at the speed of light after all.

[Gratuitous Boom]

I've always thought that defense tests weren't an attempt to dodge an attack but more like a check to see how evasive the defender is moving relative to the attacker when he makes the attack. This is why a defender can make a defense check against an attacker that he may not be able to perceive so long as he's already combat alert.

[Herr Brackhaus]

Agreed, I always saw (heh) defense tests less like a character actively trying to dodge an incoming bullet that they've seen and more like the chance of your attack missing. Exceptions to this are active defenses, like Full Defense representing the character advancing tactically and not just standing out in the open, or, in melee combat, dodging and blocking/parrying attacks.

So whether the laser is visible or not really shouldn't have any effect on the character getting a defense roll and vice versa.

[Adamo1618]

There's no chance in hell that your brain will be able to react in time when someone fires a bullet from a rifle at you, especially at short range. The eye-brain connection is simply too slow. A human can process an image in as short as 13 milliseconds. When someone fires a sniper rifle, the muzzle velocity is around 1000 m/s. Fired from a distance of ten meters, that gives you 10 milliseconds to react. You don't have time to even see it before it hits. Actually moving your body takes way longer than that.

From this we can assume that the defense test stems more from predicting where someone will shoot rather than actually reacting to the muzzle flash.

EDIT: I apologise for my seemingly condescending tone, it was not intentional.

[Kincaid]

I was being slightly facetious--dodging bulletsis, as Adamo pointed out, wishful thinking.  Dodging invisible beams of light moreso.

[Marcus Gideon]

Mythbusters has done episodes about dodging a bullet, dodging an arrow, even dodging Star Wars blaster bolts. It never ends well for the person on the receiving end (except the arrows, which was still a matter of timing and luck). All of those are physical projectiles being fired at a reasonably measurable speed.

Laser beams travel at the speed of light. By the time you see the enemy taking aim and firing, you're already dead.

Defense tests are mainly about not being where the shot plans on going.

[ScytheKnight]

I sort of read it as you're keep an eye on your opponents and the defense test is you taking some form of cover as you see someone aiming at you... thus why Shooting Through Cover gives no defense roll.

[prionic6]

You also don't get a defense roll if you're unaware of the attack, so no bullet dodging.

[gradivus]

I guess a Huge Mount, an Archon Laser, Pop-down turret and 2MP for the power backpack on a Rotodrone.

Only 7 shots but since they wont hear a shot and hopefully aren't paying attention to a seamingly unarmed drone flying high above them, it should be an unaware situation to the target...so no defense roll vs 7P -1AP at extreme range.

[UnLimiTeD]

I don't doubt that it's innocuous on some level, but I do doubt that anyone sees a Rotodrone overhead and doesn't wonder what it's packing, given that they mostly come standard with something unpleasant.
Well, after the first shot, anyways.

[Jack_Spade]

Oh, that gives me an idea:

Combine a small crawler drone with gecko tips and a strong upgraded radar sensor. Now add a laser weapon and just start shooting people through walls and cover. 

[UnLimiTeD]

Light doesn't actually penetrate cover, even though those guns have insane base AP:
Unless you modify it to shoot gamma rays, at which point do we call that a "dirty gun"? 
Not sure that kills that fast, though.

[Jack_Spade]

You just burn through the wall with the insane AP

But in all honesty, a Ranger Arms SM-5 with hand loaded APDS is easier to get and will give better results.